In a time when headlines are filled with violent crime, distrust in institutions, and political rhetoric that favors outrage over outcomes, Georgia is quietly charting a smarter path forward. Public safety is not about politics or ideology: it’s about protecting families, upholding law and order, and creating real opportunities for people to rebuild their lives once their debt to society has been paid.
For more than a decade, the Peach State has been a national leader on “smart on crime” policies that support law enforcement, empower prosecutors with tools for accountability and redemption, and improve rehabilitation programs to reduce recidivism. These policies first began under Governor Nathan Deal, when the state passed bipartisan reforms including the Georgia’s own version of a “First Step Act,” the First Offender Reform Act of 2016, which expanded opportunities for second chances. The conservative governor’s broader efforts to strengthen prisons, address juvenile crime, and modernize rehabilitation programs laid the foundation for lasting change.
The results speak for themselves. Georgia’s three-year recidivism rate dropped from 30% in 2011 to 26% by 2018, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections and Pew Charitable Trusts—proof that conservative, evidence-based changes to the system work.
Governor Brian Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr, ands Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones have all carried that legacy forward. These statewide leaders have focused on reentry and rehabilitation initiatives while unveiling system-wide corrections recommendations to strengthen the entire justice system. Yet challenges remain. Post-COVID budget strains have worsened conditions in many facilities, staffing shortages exceed 45% in some prisons, endangering both officers and those in custody. Georgia must now decide whether to double down on the efforts that work or slide back into policies of over-incarceration.
Right On Crime recognizes that improving all aspects of the system—law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, and reentry—requires a full-system approach. Law enforcement officers need better investigative tools; prosecutors need resources to expand diversion programs and attract qualified attorneys; and corrections facilities need investment to ensure humane and effective rehabilitation.
Legislators are taking steps in that direction. In 2023 and 2024, state oversight commissions began reviewing the challenges within Georgia’s correctional system, including mental health services and contraband control. The bipartisan Georgia Survivor Justice Act extends rehabilitation opportunities to victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, proving that compassion and accountability are partners in true public safety.
Economic opportunity is also key. Nearly one in four jobs in Georgia requires a state-issued occupational license, yet over 60% of individuals released from prison remain unemployed a year later. A bipartisan occupational licensing reform bill passed the in one chamber in 2025 but ran out of time before final approval. Renewing this effort, along with restoring funding for prosecutor offices to pre-2020 levels, will be critical in the coming session.
When 95% of people in prison eventually return home, the question isn’t if they will—but how they will reintegrate into our communities. We should want taxpayers, not tax burdens; restored families, not fractured ones. Rehabilitation, job training, and financial literacy aren’t soft on crime, they’re fiscally smart and common-sense solutions for crime prevention.
On the front lines, we must do more to support law enforcement. We mourn the loss of five law enforcement officers this year, including Officer Jeremy Labonte who was the first officer killed in Roswell in more than three decades. Labonte’s death is a sobering reminder of the risks faced by those who protect our communities, and supporting these heroes must remain at the center of any criminal justice policies.
Right On Crime has re-entered Georgia to showcase the community leaders, law enforcement officials, and others setting the standard for true public safety. Our mission is to strengthen accountability where it’s needed, compassion where it’s deserved, and opportunity where it’s earned. That’s a conservative blueprint for justice that works, and it’s how we can create a safer, stronger Georgia.